He Sits and Knits

He sits and knits, so patiently. Carefully. Gently weaving the delicate bones and tissue together.

He sits on His throne, eagerness rising up inside of Him. His creation, His masterpiece, is nearly done. He tenderly places a small tuft of black hair on top, adds dimples, a one-of-a-kind personality, unique DNA, and ten little perfect fingers and toes. He gives His work of art a button nose, two blue eyes, and, with a loving kiss atop the wispy head, sends him to earth, where He can’t wait to show him off.

3 months later…..

She is scared. Scared to death. She’s late. She’s been late before, but not this late. Is it possible…maybe she should get a test first and find out, just to be sure. But what if she is? What will her boyfriend say?

2 hours later….

She is stone still, tears streaming down her face. The test is positive. She’d called her boyfriend and told him what happened. He was angry. Threatened to leave her if she didn’t get rid of it. He wasn’t ready for babies. Or any kind of responsibility. He wasn’t a man, and she should have known that three months ago. But she’d been too excited.

She swallows hard, debating in her mind what to do. This baby would be expensive to care for, and her parents….they didn’t know. They would never have to know. She could get rid of it, her boyfriend wouldn’t leave her, her parents would never find out, and everything would be back to normal.

 

A few weeks later…

She walks out of the clinic, feeling relieved, scared, and sad. She keeps trying to reassure herself that she did the right thing. She’d called her boyfriend and told him her plan. He sounded happy, and told her he was proud of her. She sighs. Why does she feel so awful? Her boyfriend is proud of her and didn’t leave her, her parents don’t know a thing, and she won’t have to waste money caring for that thing. She sighs again, wishing the cloud hanging over her would disappear.

Up in Heaven…

Tears fill His eyes, as He gently cradles the baby boy. He was so excited to show off His creation to the world. So eager to give this new little person a chance at life. He had wonderful plans for this boy’s life. Plans that no one earth could ever dream of. His heart breaks when He remembers the baby’s cries during the horrific procedure in the clinic. Well, he was safe in Heaven now. He would protect him, and the angels would watch over him. He snuggles the sweet little bundle closer to His chest, angry at His enemy. Angry that he lied about His creation, slyly whispering in people’s ears, “It’s just a fetus…it’s just a bunch of cells….it’s so expensive to take care of it…the abortion is painless.”

No. It’s not painless. The baby felt pain, the mother felt pain, and He felt pain. What a crock.

 

“For You created my inmost being, You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with You” -Psalm 139:13-18

Weekend Blessings

After a not-so-great week, God reminded me to count my blessings, one by one, like the song suggests. My Mom’s side of the family got together at Grandma’s house for a work day and for supper, and as usual, everyone had a good time.

Some of the blessings I enjoyed were:

-Getting compliments on my chocolate cream pie.

- Rocking my little cousin Caleb as he sat in my lap.

-Having my brother come home for the weekend.

-Vacuuming the whole house top to bottom. Looks and feels so clean!

- Laughing as the wind blows a potato chip off my cousin Chris’s paper plate and drops it through a crack on the floor of the outdoor patio.

- Picking fresh Garden Tea with Rose and talking.

-Not having to deal with spiders while picking Garden Tea.

-Enjoying the first barbecue chicken of the year.

-Having cousin Olivia help us pick tea, and cousin Jacob help Rose and I sort through mail.

-Being reminded by my Heavenly Father that Grandma is more alive now than she ever was here on earth.   I love you, Grandma. <3

There’s so much more that God has richly blessed me with, that I don’t deserve. I love my family, and after a not-so-great week, there is just nothing like being with family to be reminded of that. I’m so glad I’m also part of God’s family, the best family there is!

What are some blessings you’re thankful for?

Mark 8:36

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” -Mark 8:36

Most of us know this Bible verse by heart. And we take it to mean that it’s no good to inherit the world if we lose our own soul. Which is true. But there’s something else about it I want to ponder on.

The other night I was watching a show on Discovery Channel. It was about the one-year anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden, and how our American SEAL team raided his compound and shot and killed him.

It interviewed different people after they were notified of bin Laden’s death, and one man who was interviewed said, “It’s a gift to the world, that we’re rid of him.”

Now think about that. It’s a gift that we killed a man? :-/ A man that God lovingly knitted in a mother’s womb, a man who God saw as precious in His sight, and a man whom God had a hope, a future, and great plans for?

What good does it profit our country if we rid the world of a terrorist, and send a precious soul to hell? Yes, Osama did some horrible things. I’m not condoning what he did. He killed nearly three thousand people on September 11, 2001. But us killing him doesn’t justify it. Whether you murder three thousand people, or just one, murder is still murder. And that’s wrong, in God’s eyes.

Now I admit that I didn’t like Osama bin Laden, and my first reaction was relief and happiness when I learned we were no longer in fear of him. But after a while, I felt guilty. He was still a person whom God created. God didn’t love him any less than He loves me. He sent His Son Jesus to die for Osama bin Laden.

There was a picture on Facebook recently that I got from someone, and I shared it on my wall. It read, “If you don’t believe in miracles, perhaps you’ve forgotten you are one!”

Osama bin Laden was a miracle. I’m a miracle. Whoever reads this is a miracle.

Presidential candidates were saying how they wanted to take back America once they became President. Personally, I think our country is so far gone that it’s going to take a lot to take it back. Gay marriage and abortion are accepted, with claims that “it’s just a fetus/bunch of cells in a woman’s stomach” and “gays aren’t hurting anyone. They’re just loving each other.” Trangendered people are accepted, saying that “they were just born in the wrong body.” And on TV and in music, there’s sex, violence, swearing, and partying.

In addition to that, our country reels in horror at the murder of our own people, but applauds and cheers at the murder of another.

What does it profit our country if we cater to everyone’s desires, and lose our roots?

We’re supposed to be one nation under God. We’re going to be one nation under God’s wrath if we don’t clean up our act.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” -Mark 8:36

What does it profit us, if we make everyone happy by doing what society says, and lose our own soul to God’s wrath?

I’m not trying to sound unpatriotic, but I believe God shouldn’t bless America. He’s already blessed us abundantly, and in return we’ve brought shame to Him. We need to start blessing Him.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” -2 Chronicles 7:14

The Best Family Ever

I’m a little hesitant to post this, because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or seem prideful.

But I’m convinced I have the best family ever.

Two weeks ago I got to see most of my extended family on my Mom’s side, although it wasn’t the usual Schlabach family gathering we have planned. My beloved Grandma Martha went to Heaven last Wednesday, and for most of us, it was a bittersweet occasion. We were rejoicing that she was finally with Jesus, and that she was no longer sick or in pain. Yet we also wept, sorrowful because she would no longer be at family gatherings, or see any of her grandchildren get married or graduate from high school.

During the calling hours for Grandma, I was deeply touched when I saw my Aunt Ruby and Uncle Joel (on my Dad’s side) in the line. They hugged us and sympathized with us for our loss. Even though they may not have been as close to Grandma,  it still meant a lot that they came to the calling hours to show us their support.

In addition to my aunt and uncle coming to the calling hours,  my Dad’s whole side of the family sent us a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a sympathy card.  I was even more touched when I saw it. I didn’t realize they had sent us the flowers until after the funeral, and everyone had signed the card.

Now before I go on, let me tell you a little bit about my Dad’s side of the family. My Dad’s side of the family is very fun-loving and hospitable; they love to get together and have some good home-cooked meals, and also playing games! I think I get my love of playing games from them. I can honestly say that I always have a good time when we get together.

Then there’s my Mom’s side. As I said earlier, my Mom’s extended side got together for my Grandma’s funeral. Obviously tears were shed, but we also laughed, reminiscing about happier times, and also smiled, seeing people we hadn’t seen for a while. I also mentioned earlier that we have a Schlabach family gathering every year, in the summer. This tradition started before I was even born! We have it every summer, and it lasts for two days, Saturday forenoon at lunch, and it usually ends late afternoon on Sunday.

Most people dread family reunions, but I actually enjoy going to my Schlabach family gathering, mostly because I know who everyone is and how we’re related, but also because we always have a good time together! We have homemade root beer (much better than store-bought), BBQ chicken, a candy throw for the kids, popcorn, and just visiting and reminiscing!

Our group has grown smaller, due to deaths in the family, as well as people getting married and moving away. But we’ve also grown. As I just said, people get married, and their spouses, and kids, come to Camp Schlabach sometimes, even if just for a day. It’s SO nice to see people I don’t see very often, and see how their kids have grown. And like I said earlier, I am convinced I have some of the best family members on the planet. Like my Dad’s side, my Mom’s side also enjoys getting together and playing games. We love seeing people we haven’t seen in a long time, and talking and laughing together. I can also honestly say that I have a good time with my Mom’s side as well, both immediate family and extended family.

But recently God put this thought in my head: I love my family, and think they’re the best. But actually, the best kind of family to have, is God’s family. When you believe in your heart that Jesus died for you, and confess with your mouth that he is Lord (Romans 10:9), then you God adopts you into His family! I think all my family members (on both sides of my family) are pretty amazing, but having every believer in Christ as your brother and sister is even more amazing! People from other countries, who speak different languages, who are different races….we’re all adopted by God into His family!

I would love to get married someday, and have children of my own. I also want to adopt, because I know there are a lot of kids out there who need good homes, and I would love to have them be part of our family, and enjoy the fun and fellowship. And that’s exactly what God did with us! He saw that we were hurting children, who needed a good, stable, loving, home, so He adopted us, and someday in Heaven, where Grandma is right now, we’ll get together and fellowship and have fun with one another! I don’t know if there will be popcorn, root beer and candy, but I do know that we’ll get to enjoy the wedding supper of the Lamb! 

I love my family dearly. My parents are good teachers and have taught and instilled values in my brothers and I. My brothers are geniuses, which makes me a pretty lucky girl! But I also love my spiritual family, and I’m excited to have our “gathering” when Jesus comes back.

I am truly blessed for such an amazing family.

Jude 1:24

Yes, I know it’s been a while since I posted. Forgive me; life got in the way.

A lot has happened since I last posted. We had Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers with family, and a New Year’s Eve party at church. There was also an engagement on my Dad’s side, and the beginning of a new courtship on my Mom’s side.

I’m going to be somewhat vulnerable here, and admit that sometimes I feel kind of left out. I hope someday God blesses me with a Prince Charming, as well.

At the same time, sometimes I’m, well….afraid to get married. I admit that I have some regrets in life, and wish I could do things over. I made mistakes. Sometimes I’m afraid that no guy will want me, or that I’m good enough for any guy to want me.

I was mulling this around in my head the other night, and then the next morning at church, at our women’s Bible study that we’re doing by Beth Moore (she rocks, by the way )  Beth Moore had us turn to Jude 1:24. It reads:

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.”

Gos really opened my eyes, and used that verse to touch me! Jesus will someday present little ol’ me faultless, before God. He’s forgiven my mistakes. He thinks I’m beautiful, and worth dying for. I’m part of His beloved bride, and I’m faultless before Him! No regrets or mistakes. He’ll accept me as His bride and take me as I am. I’m good enough for Him.

But that’s not even the best part. The best part says, “With exceeding joy.” How cool is that? Jesus won’t say grudgingly, “I guess I can forgive your mistakes, but I really don’t want a bride who’s made so many errors. I’d rather have a bride who lived a perfect life since birth.”

No! He will joyfully present me to His Father, with much exceeding joy, and say excitedly, “Father, here is Ashley, my darling bride. I love her so much. I willingly died for her, and she is sorry for her mistakes. She accepted me as her Savior, and her mistakes are covered by my blood when I died for her.”

I like to think that then, He will turn and smile at me, we’ll link arms, and walk into our heavenly honeymoon, and I’ll get to go to my mansion in Heaven! What a party it’s going to be! Literally spending the rest of my life with the guy who truly loves me enough to die for me, proudly present me before His Father, and declare me mistake-free.

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” -Jude 1:24

Blessings

I used to hate the way my voice sounded when I heard it replayed on a video or tape recorder.

Until I read the story of the woman who had been deaf her whole life and had never heard her own voice until the age of 29. She got a hearing implant, and cried when she first heard herself.
http://www.godvine.com/29-Year-Old-Girl-Hears-Her-Own-Voice-For-the-First-Time-713.html

I used to wish my Mom would stop making the same meals all the time and make something different.

Until I saw the picture of the thin arm, caused by starvation, grasping the healthy hand.

I used to wish my Dad would stop being so strict about some stuff.

Until I remembered the broken family whose patriarch left, filed for divorce, and married another woman.

I used to hate being single, and would wish desperately for a boyfriend and would cry whenever I saw couples together.

Until I remembered the girl who got pregnant out of wedlock because she wanted to be accepted and loved by her boyfriend.

I used to hate cleaning house, complaining that it took forever.

Until I remembered that many homeless people would gladly spend an hour or two cleaning house.

I used to hate the way I looked, and wished I was prettier.

Until I thought of the people with tumors or cleft palates on their faces.

I used to whine when I had a cold.

Until I thought of the people who have AIDS, where a cold could kill them because their immune system is too weak to fight the infection.

I used to hate exercising because I’d always be so out of breath and out of shape.

Until I remembered the people bound in wheelchairs who aren’t able to walk and exercise.

I used to wish we weren’t so tight on money.

Until I realized that some people are still unemployed and looking for work.

I used to complain about the cold weather.

Until I remembered that I had warm clothes, blankets, and heat in our house.

I am guilty of not always being thankful and counting my blessings like I should.   God has really been opening my eyes lately and showing me how truly blessed I really am. No, my life isn’t perfect (no one’s is), but I admit, I do have it pretty good. Like the picture says, “you hate your life, while others dream of having yours.”

I am thankful for:

1. My voice, and also the ability to hear (and see, touch, taste, and smell).

2. The fact that I know where my next meal is coming from.

3. A whole, stable, loving family.

4. The ability to stand up for myself and have respect for myself.

5. A house to clean, and cleaning products.

6. The way I look.

7. Good health.

8. The ability to walk, run, and exercise.

9. Two part-time jobs.

10. Heat, blankets, and warm clothes.

What are you thankful for? What are some of your blessings?

Tears & Bottles

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (NIV).

I’ve been clinging to this verse a lot lately. Between listening to soulful music or watching a touching Winnie the Pooh clip on YouTube, I seem to find myself tearing up quite often.

The devil knows my weaknesses, and during the night, when I’m lying in my soft, cozy warm bed, he likes to bring up bad memories, past mistakes, and my insecurities. Then I toss and turn, with tears down my face, trying to get relief from his lies.

This is quite obvious, I know, but one night it just hit me: One day God will wipe every tear from our eyes. It’s not a “maybe”, or “well, He might”. No. He will. God always keeps His promises.

This past winter, the women from our church did a Beth Moore Bible Study called, “Believing God: Experiencing a Fresh Explosion of Faith.” We learned a lot of good things, but the five main things we learned were:

1. God is Who He says He is.

2. God can do what He says he can do.

3. I am who God says I am.

4. I can do all things through Christ.

5. God’s Word is alive and active in me.

When the devil brings up bad memories, past mistakes or my insecurities, I need to remind him of point number 3: I am who GOD says I am. God says I am washed in Jesus’ blood, cleansed righteous, and His little Princess. Then, going to points 1 and 2, I remind myself that God is my Heavenly Daddy, and one day He will come back and gently wipe tears away from His kiddos’ eyes with His Heavenly hands. He said He would, and He will.

With point number 4, I tell myself that I need to believe that I am God’s Princess, and that God will keep His promise. I can believe, with Christ’s help. And lastly, turning to point number 5, if I believe those things, then God’s Word will be alive and active in me

I’m not saying it’s wrong to cry. Definitely not. Everyone needs a good cry now and then, and especially when you’re grieving. But just think, some day Daddy will come back, wipe our tears away, take away death, pain, and crying forever, and send Satan in permanent time-out. =)

“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” Psalm 56:8 (NIV)

I’ve often wondered if God will give us our bottles of tears when we get to our Heavenly mansions. On the one hand, I don’t know if I’d want mine, because I don’t want to remember everything I cried about while here on earth. On the other hand, in Heaven there will be no pain, so maybe I won’t even remember what I cried about. I also wonder why God collects our tears and keeps them in bottles, but hey, He knows best.

So the next time you’re down and out and feel yourself tearing up, remember- God’s tenderly collecting those precious tears of yours and keeping them in a bottle (which will never break), and someday, He’ll lovingly wipe away all your tears. Now that’s something to smile about!

The Ashley Wengerd Trial

I’m not sure why, but every week I get a few celebrity magazines in the mail, and I’ve never subscribed to them. Maybe the company decided to send me a free trial or something. Who knows.

Speaking of trials, in one issue of one of the the magazines, there was a story about Michael Jackson’s art work. Apparently he drew some pictures, and the whole collection of his drawings is worth $900 million dollars. They were auctioned off for $87.7 million dollars, and his family is now fighting to get them back. Insiders have said that Michael was in debt, and would have wanted his family to benefit financially from his collection, whereas his family obviously wants them back because they’re his. The magazine also said that this could be one of the biggest court cases in American history.

I remember reading once some time ago that there is an on-going court battle between Jesus and Satan. Satan wants to “sue” us, telling God, “Look! They used Your Name in vain, stole that piece of candy, lusted after that guy/girl”, etc. Jesus is our lawyer, and He is defending us, telling God, “Yes, but they apologized, repented, and My blood covers their sins.” I really like that.

We, like Michael Jackson’s drawings, are also works of art. God created us in our mother’s womb, gave us our likes and dislikes, our personalities, and our looks. And unlike Michael Jackson, God is not dead! We’re not worth millions of dollars; we’re priceless. God had us, but then Satan took us when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus couldn’t bear the thought of a con artist stealing His Father’s beautiful art work and tarnishing it, so He willingly paid the ultimate price: His life.

People will shell out big bucks for art pieces worth millions. Jesus laid down His life for the 6 billion plus people here on earth. Michael Jackson’s art was worth $900 million and was sold for less than that. We humans are priceless, and yet we believe Satan’s lies that we’re not good enough. Not pretty, skinny, talented, or funny enough. That we’re worthless, less than what we really are.

The biggest court case in heavenly history happened within a span of three days. Jesus was arrested, taken to an earthly court, stripped, mocked, accused, beaten, and crucified. Three days later He kicked Satan’s butt, burst open the pearly gates, and said, “It’s finished! It’s complete! I’m Home now! I won the case for Ashley Wengerd!” (Or you can put your own name in there too). And yes, we technically are found guilty, but Jesus will tell the Judge, “I took their place. Ashley is innocent.”

I like to think of  the angels in Heaven being the jury, and saying, “We the jury, find Ashley Wengerd, not guilty, because her lawyer, Jesus Christ, took her punishment for her.” And God bangs His gavel (which could maybe be a clap of thunder) and tells the devil, “Case dismissed.” And Satan, the bad loser that he is, will keep dragging this thing to court over and over, telling God the Judge every time I’ve sinned. “Look! She broke Your laws! She is guilty!” And Jesus, ever so patiently (not sure how can be so patient) will tell him, “I took Ashley’s place. She repented, is sorry, and her name is in the Book of Life.”

Forget Matlock the lawyer and Judge Judy. I’ll take Jesus as my attorney and God as my Judge any day. =)

Soggy Bread

I don’t know about you, but I hate soggy bread. Bread should be soft. Or crunchy, if you’re having toast.  And if you’re from Amish country, you’ve probably had Strawberry Soup, Banana Soup, etc. For those of  you who don’t know what that is, you take strawberries (or whatever fruit you prefer) and torn up pieces of bread and put them in a bowl. Add milk and white sugar, and voila! Strawberry Soup. I grew up eating it, and then we stopped having it for a while. We recently started to have it again this past spring, and for some reason, I just didn’t care for it the way I used to. The texture of the wet bread, though it was meant to be soggy, just didn’t feel right going into my mouth. It was gross. :-/

This past Sunday, our pastor was talking about how Christianity and the church of Jesus is being watered down. People (even Christians) are accepting gay marriage, claiming, “God made me this way, so it’s okay.” People are fine with gender changing, claiming, “I was just born in the wrong body.” People are shrugging off abortions, claiming, “It’s just a fetus; a bunch of cells.”

Let me tell you something. Jesus is the Bread of Life, and His Word, the Bible, should be our daily bread. But His Word is soggy because it’s being watered down so much!

The Bible clearly tells us that homosexuality is a sin: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders.” – 1 Corinthians 6:9.

To change your gender and claim you were born in the wrong body is a sin, and an insult to your Maker who created you: “For You formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” -Psalm 139:13-14.

Abortion is murder: “Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-5.

Now, I personally don’t like the texture of soggy bread; it’s squishy and gross and just not what bread is supposed to be like.   But Satan wants you to have squishy bread. He wants you keep believing his lies so your convictions and beliefs will be squishy and not firm in God’s Word.

Are you feeding yourself soggy bread?  “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.” -Psalm 34:8.

Extreme Makeover: Spiritual Edition

There are so many “Extreme Makeover” shows nowadays. There’s a Home Edition, a Weight Loss Edition,  and a show titled “What Not To Wear” that shows people who dress poorly, have professional stylists come in and redo their wardrobe and hair, and give them a makeover.  Pretty cool, and inspiring, stuff.

I admit, sometimes I get jealous because the people on those shows always get something cool in return- on “What Not To Wear”, they get cool clothes and cute haircuts, on the Weight Loss Edition, the person they’re filming loses a ton of weight and gets a new body,  and on the Home Edition, the family in need gets a brand new house, and sometimes with no mortgage!

I often get envious because I’ve been trying to lose weight. I would like a brand new body. I would like for our house to have no mortgage.

However, I have had a makeover! Spiritually,that is. When I accepted Jesus into my life, Jesus transformed my heart to be one like His. Plus, as a reward, I automatically got 3  guarantees.

1. That I would have a brand new house, a mansion, in Heaven. A mansion that won’t fall apart!

2. That I will have a brand new body when I move into that house. A body that won’t get old, overweight, wrinkly, sprain, break, or anything.  I’ll be the perfect weight!

3.  I’m already clothed with spiritual clothes that fit me perfectly!

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. “  Galatians 3:27.

Yes, it would be nice to have a new house with no mortgage, sweet clothes and cute haircuts, and lose lots of weight and have people admiring you for it. But those things are earthly things.  They won’t last. Cars break down, houses fall apart, and bodies eventually get old.  When I had my heart transformed, there were angels in Heaven rejoicing over it!

Plus, so many makeover shows are about outward appearance- losing weight, having the right clothes, etc. There’s nothing wrong with taking pride in your appearance and looking your best, but as I said earlier, Jesus transformed my heart to be more like His. (It’s a work in progress, but Jesus never gives up on me.  Just like the personal trainer on the Weight Loss Edition shows never gives up on his clients). No makeover show can truly change a person’s heart.  If a person with a hard heart gets teary-eyed and inspired by the stories on those shows, it’s because God used the show to to change his heart.

So if you feel frumpy, like I often do, remind yourself that you have had a spiritual makeover, and nothing can take that away from you.  I look in my mirror and see zits, fat, and crooked teeth. Jesus looks at me and sees a Princess, with a heart like His, who is spiritually beautiful in every sense.